If that doesn\u2019t curb your procrastination, consider these real-life moving horror stories. Buckett\u2019s seen contracts fall through because the buyers came to take possession, but the sellers couldn\u2019t get their stuff out in time. She\u2019s also had seller clients who showed up at closing half-asleep because they were up all night moving.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t wait until the last minute,\u201d she says. \u201cIf you think it will take one day, it\u2019s going to take two.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before you look around the house and panic, take a deep breath. We\u2019ve talked to expert real estate agents, plus organization and packing pros to gather the top packing tips to speed up and smooth out your move day.<\/p>\n If you find yourself on a tight timeline, the first thing you can do is call in the troops.<\/p>\n Many hands make light work, and you\u2019ll need all the help you can get! Pitch it to your relatives and buddies as an excuse to get together. Make it fun by hosting a purge and packing day where you supply the pizza and beer.<\/p>\n Put on a \u201cpacking playlist\u201d (you can find one on Spotify<\/a>) to create a light atmosphere.<\/p>\n Before your helpers arrive, get organized by planning out who will do what, or you\u2019ll waste everyone\u2019s time. Find out how many hours each person can dedicate and divvy up tasks accordingly.<\/p>\n Do enough prep so that you can put Sally on assembling boxes, Joe on spackling the nail holes, Sam on bubble wrapping your glassware, and on down the line.<\/p>\n They\u2019ll be glad to help if they aren\u2019t standing around waiting for instructions.<\/p>\n Hiring professional movers?<\/p>\n Ask if their service package includes wrapping all of your furniture in plastic, including dressers, nightstands, and end tables.<\/p>\n That allows you to keep your clothing and personal items tucked away in furniture drawers and move it all together as is, reducing your box count and packing burden.<\/p>\n Many moving companies will also provide and use their own furniture blankets to protect your big bulky items, meaning you can cross expensive padding off your supplies list.<\/p>\n Senior Move Managers<\/a> are like the fairy godmothers of downsizing<\/a> who can swoop in, whip your home into shape, and help you tackle daunting moves faster than you can say \u201cbippity boppity boo.\u201d<\/p>\n While your real estate agent handles marketing your home and the specifics of the transaction, Senior Move Managers are your friends in sorting, organizing, packing, decluttering<\/a> and more.<\/p>\n We know you need great professionals in your corner to tackle your move, so when you find your top-performing real estate agent through HomeLight<\/a>, we\u2019ll cover your first 5 hours with a Senior Move Manager up to $200.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re in a rush, you might be tempted to start throwing miscellaneous items into boxes. But you can actually save time with a focus on simplifying and paring down before you pack.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t do your donating, purging and downsizing on the day of the move,\u201d says Terri Albert<\/a>, who owns The Chicago Organizer and assists with general organizing, paper management and clutter-free living. \u201cIt\u2019s too chaotic. It\u2019s very costly to move. Don\u2019t pay to move something that all you\u2019re going to do is get rid of it on the other end.\u201d<\/p>\n Buckett and Albert agree that it\u2019s never too early to start planning for a move. Wise sellers realize less is more when it comes to showing a home and start decluttering months in advance.<\/p>\n If your home is on the market, it makes sense to pack what you can and rent a storage shed.<\/p>\n So where to start? Do a quick scan of every room and look for obvious items to purge.<\/p>\n Closets, countertops, cabinets, bookshelves and garages can easily become catch-alls, so go through these spaces with a discerning eye and be honest\u2014is this item important enough to pack and haul it to your new place? Even if your move is still weeks away, a mindset shift toward early preparation will save you from wasting time down the line.<\/p>\n Albert suggests asking three questions during the purge process for each item:<\/p>\n If the answer is no to all three, then it\u2019s time to put it in one of your piles: sell, donate, or toss.<\/p>\n As the saying goes, \u201cOne man\u2019s trash is another man\u2019s treasure.\u201d Before you send perfectly good items to the landfill, Albert recommends hosting a pre-move party and invite friends, family and neighbors over to go through your unwanted goods.<\/p>\n Remember your dream team\u2014the ones helping you pack?<\/p>\n Repay the favor and give them your half-used liquor bottles, cleaning supplies and perishable fridge items.<\/p>\n As Albert notes, it\u2019s much cheaper and easier to restock once you\u2019re settled into your new home than hassle with moving those items.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a great time to send your grown children home with any lingering momentos from high school or college.<\/p>\n Who knows what\u2019s hiding in the garage, attic or basement\u2014Barbies, hockey skates, an antique Radio Flyer wagon? Give them first dibs to grab anything sentimental from childhood\u2014or anything they might want to pass on to their own children.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re ready to downsize, consider giving away family photos, heirlooms, furniture or other personal belongings to the people you want to have them.<\/p>\n As estate lawyers will tell you, this avoids hurt feelings and family feuds, or the possibility of it ending up in the wrong hands or an estate sale, in the event of an unexpected illness or death.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not have your family members enjoy your china and all your other items so you can see them in action?\u201d Albert says.<\/p>\n Live on a busy street? Have lots of large or valuable items to off-load? People still enjoy stopping at good old-fashioned garage sales. Some of the top sellers include:<\/p>\n If there\u2019s no time for that, post unwanted items on Craigslist<\/a>, letgo<\/a>, local Facebook garage sale groups and Facebook marketplace<\/a>.<\/p>\n ThredUP<\/a>, the world\u2019s largest online secondhand shopping resource, is also a great place to sell quality used clothes and accessories.<\/p>\n Whether you write one out by hand or download one from the internet, a simple home inventory checklist<\/a> can help keep you on track in the weeks leading up to your move.<\/p>\n Start by taking a home inventory, and creating a timeline. There are many printable templates and Moving Guides<\/a> available on Pinterest<\/a> or make your own Excel spreadsheet.<\/p>\n Another option is a digital home inventory app like Allstate\u2019s Digital Locker<\/a>.<\/p>\n Boxes, boxes, boxes\u2014they are a necessity when planning for any big move. But there are so many variables when it comes to how many boxes you will need: how much stuff you have, how many containers you already own, and how much you plan to purge or pitch.<\/p>\n Save yourself from extra trips while you\u2019re in a smooth packing rhythm by estimating your box needs up front.<\/p>\n Home Depot offers this handy moving calculator<\/a> to help estimate how many boxes you need per room.<\/p>\n Luckily, there are a variety of ways to collect boxes for free that won\u2019t add much time to your packing process.<\/p>\n You can always buy boxes from your moving company, a shipping-supply store and even retailers such as The Home Depot and Walmart. If you want to skip the store, and buy them at a discount, order them online through sites such as cheapcheapmovingboxes.com<\/a>, Uline.com<\/a>, Uboxes.com<\/a>, and Amazon.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Check with your moving company on any box requirements or restrictions before you collect a bunch of boxes you can\u2019t use.<\/p>\n Using storage items\u2014plastic totes, recyclable grocery bags, storage containers, sturdy baskets\u2014around your house can cut down on your box expenses.<\/p>\n Make use of hampers and laundry baskets by filling them with:<\/p>\n Use your suitcases and overnight bags for:<\/p>\n Empty and clean out your trash cans and use them to move:<\/p>\n Use small, sturdy boxes\u2014think copy paper boxes\u2014or those with built-in handles for heavier items such as books and dishes. They hold up and are easy to lift, stack and move.<\/p>\n Here are some other good rules of thumb:<\/p>\n Save larger boxes for light items, and use medium boxes for everything in between. Heavier items should be placed at the bottom, lighter ones on top. Same goes for stacking them when it\u2019s time to move.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re doing the move yourself, you want to be realistic about what you can lift and carry, Albert says. Most moving companies won\u2019t move heavy items in large boxes or those without covers. There are different grades of box strength, so don\u2019t risk packing breakables, dishes or small appliances in the least expensive boxes.<\/p>\n Get everything you need with a moving supplies checklist<\/a>:<\/p>\n You should always pack and carefully handle valuables like jewelry, coins, special china, family heirlooms, and important paperwork, even when you\u2019re on a tight timeline.<\/p>\n Bubble wrap works well for protecting breakable or fragile items.<\/p>\n If there is a particular item you\u2019re worried about, and you have room in your vehicle, it\u2019s wise to transport it yourself.<\/p>\n Label each box and what room it goes in and stack them near the door or an empty wall, but out of the way until move day.<\/p>\n Briefly list the contents of each box on the box or make an inventory list. This reduces confusion for movers and simplifies the unloading\/unpacking process.<\/p>\n \u201cThe more organized you are to pack, the more organized you will be on the unpack and you\u2019ll save yourself so much on the back end,\u201d Albert says.<\/p>\n Designate one room in your house for packing\u2014the guest room or an empty corner of your living room, for example.<\/p>\n Collect boxes in various sizes, packing tape, markers, and supplies like newspaper and bubble wrap, and keep these items contained to your packing station.<\/p>\n Label and stack full boxes in this space as you go. This way, you won\u2019t be tripping over boxes all over your house, and you\u2019ll always know where to find those Sharpies.<\/p>\n Begin by packing nonessentials, seasonal items, or anything you don\u2019t regularly use or need for a few weeks:<\/p>\n Pack one room at a time if possible. Albert says to pack like items from the same room in the same box. Don\u2019t gather items from various rooms and put them in the same box; it\u2019s too confusing and wastes time on the unpack.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to feel overwhelmed when you look around and see everything that needs packed. Start with a closet, the bathroom or living room knick-knacks and books. You\u2019ll feel excited when you see an empty wall or closet.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s time-consuming and it\u2019s a stressful time in anyone\u2019s life so do it in smaller chunks, a couple of boxes a night,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n When disassembling furniture, put the screws and hardware in a plastic bag. Label each bag and designate one box for hardware for curtains, furniture, special light fixtures and wall decor.<\/p>\n To keep loose items organized, wrap the entire container or storage bin in plastic wrap and place it in a box.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/packing-tips-team.jpg\")
<\/a>Line up the help you\u2019ll need<\/h2>\n
1. Start by assembling a dream team<\/h3>\n
2. Find out what your moving company will do for you on the packing front<\/h3>\n
3. Hire a senior move manager to help you organize and declutter<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/packing-tips-shelf.jpg\")
<\/a>Purge before you pack to lighten your moving load<\/h2>\n
4. Sort items into 3 distinct piles: sell, donate, and toss<\/h3>\n
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Items you should try to sell<\/h4>\n
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Worthy items for the donation pile<\/h4>\n
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Toss these things! And never look back<\/h4>\n
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![\"packing-tips\"](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/pizza-packing-tips.jpg\")
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5. Host a pre-move party for family and friends<\/h3>\n
6. Hold a quick weekend sale for the final purge<\/h3>\n
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![\"packing-tips\"](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/supplies-packing-tips.jpg\")
<\/a>Stock up on all your essential supplies in one fell swoop<\/h2>\n
7. Create a moving timeline and take a home inventory<\/h3>\n
8. Calculate how many boxes you\u2019ll need ahead of time<\/h3>\n
![\"packing-tips\"](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/boxes-packing-tips.jpg\")
<\/a>9. Do a quick scavenger hunt for free boxes<\/h3>\n
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10. Get creative with other \u201cboxes\u201d at your fingertips<\/h3>\n
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11. Use boxes that are the right size, strength and material for what you\u2019re packing<\/h3>\n
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12. Stock up on all your essential moving supplies in one fell swoop<\/h3>\n
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13. Protect valuable items even when you\u2019re in a rush<\/h3>\n
![\"packing-tips\"](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/moving-packing-tips.jpg\")
<\/a>Let the real packing begin<\/h2>\n
14. Stay organized with a consistent labeling system<\/h3>\n
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15. Create a packing station to combat the chaos<\/h3>\n
16. Pack non-essential items first<\/h3>\n
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<\/h3>\n
![\"packing-tips\"](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/move-packing-tips.jpg\")
<\/a>17. Break up your packing into manageable chunks<\/h3>\n
18. Don\u2019t lose track of the little things<\/h3>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/packing-tips-mailbox.jpg\")
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